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Kaulich E, Grundy LJ, Schafer WR, Walker DS. The diverse functions of the DEG/ENaC family: linking genetic and physiological insights. J Physiol 2022; 601:1521-1542. [PMID: 36314992 PMCID: PMC10148893 DOI: 10.1113/jp283335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The DEG/ENaC family of ion channels was defined based on the sequence similarity between degenerins (DEG) from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and subunits of the mammalian epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), and also includes a diverse array of non-voltage-gated cation channels from across animal phyla, including the mammalian acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and Drosophila pickpockets. ENaCs and ASICs have wide ranging medical importance; for example, ENaCs play an important role in respiratory and renal function, and ASICs in ischaemia and inflammatory pain, as well as being implicated in memory and learning. Electrophysiological approaches, both in vitro and in vivo, have played an essential role in establishing the physiological properties of this diverse family, identifying an array of modulators and implicating them in an extensive range of cellular functions, including mechanosensation, acid sensation and synaptic modulation. Likewise, genetic studies in both invertebrates and vertebrates have played an important role in linking our understanding of channel properties to function at the cellular and whole animal/behavioural level. Drawing together genetic and physiological evidence is essential to furthering our understanding of the precise cellular roles of DEG/ENaC channels, with the diversity among family members allowing comparative physiological studies to dissect the molecular basis of these diverse functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kaulich
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura J Grundy
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - William R Schafer
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Denise S Walker
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Latorre-Estivalis JM, Almeida FC, Pontes G, Dopazo H, Barrozo RB, Lorenzo MG. Evolution of the insect PPK gene family. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6352500. [PMID: 34390578 PMCID: PMC8438182 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect pickpocket (PPK) receptors mediate diverse functions, among them the detection of mechano- and chemo-sensory stimuli. Notwithstanding their relevance, studies on their evolution only focused on Drosophila. We have analyzed the genomes of 26 species of 8 orders including holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects (Blattodea, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Phthiraptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera), to characterize the evolution of this gene family. PPKs were detected in all genomes analyzed, with 578 genes distributed in 7 subfamilies. According to our phylogeny ppk17 is the most divergent member, composing the new subfamily VII. PPKs evolved under a gene birth-and-death model that generated lineage-specific expansions usually located in clusters, while purifying selection affected several orthogroups. Subfamily V was the largest, including a mosquito-specific expansion that can be considered a new target for pest control. PPKs present a high gene turnover generating considerable variation. On one hand, Musca domestica (59), Aedes albopictus (51), Culex quinquefasciatus (48), and Blattella germanica (41) presented the largest PPK repertoires. On the other hand, Pediculus humanus (only ppk17), bees and ants (6-9) had the smallest PPK sets. A subset of prevalent PPKs was identified, indicating very conserved functions for these receptors. Finally, at least twenty percent of the sequences presented calmodulin-binding motifs, suggesting that these PPKs may amplify sensory responses similarly as proposed for D. melanogaster ppk25. Overall, this work characterized the evolutionary history of these receptors revealing relevant unknown gene sequence features and clade-specific expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Manuel Latorre-Estivalis
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIByNE), Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisca C Almeida
- Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gina Pontes
- Laboratorio de Eco-Fisiología de Insectos del Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Hernán Dopazo
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Poblaciones y Evolución. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA). CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina
| | - Romina B Barrozo
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio de Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA - UBA - CONICET), Departamento de Biología y Biodiversidad Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Gustavo Lorenzo
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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3
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York-Andersen AH, Wood BW, Wilby EL, Berry AS, Weil TT. Osmolarity-regulated swelling initiates egg activation in Drosophila. Open Biol 2021; 11:210067. [PMID: 34343463 PMCID: PMC8331238 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg activation is a series of highly coordinated processes that prepare the mature oocyte for embryogenesis. Typically associated with fertilization, egg activation results in many downstream outcomes, including the resumption of the meiotic cell cycle, translation of maternal mRNAs and cross-linking of the vitelline membrane. While some aspects of egg activation, such as initiation factors in mammals and environmental cues in sea animals, have been well-documented, the mechanics of egg activation in insects are less well-understood. For many insects, egg activation can be triggered independently of fertilization. In Drosophila melanogaster, egg activation occurs in the oviduct resulting in a single calcium wave propagating from the posterior pole of the oocyte. Here we use physical manipulations, genetics and live imaging to demonstrate the requirement of a volume increase for calcium entry at egg activation in ex vivo mature Drosophila oocytes. The addition of water, modified with sucrose to a specific osmolarity, is sufficient to trigger the calcium wave in the mature oocyte and the downstream events associated with egg activation. We show that the swelling process is regulated by the conserved osmoregulatory channels, aquaporins and DEGenerin/Epithelial Na+ channels. Furthermore, through pharmacological and genetic disruption, we reveal a concentration-dependent requirement of transient receptor potential M channels to transport calcium, most probably from the perivitelline space, across the plasma membrane into the mature oocyte. Our data establish osmotic pressure as a mechanism that initiates egg activation in Drosophila and are consistent with previous work from evolutionarily distant insects, including dragonflies and mosquitos, and show remarkable similarities to the mechanism of egg activation in some plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna H York-Andersen
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Benjamin W Wood
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Elise L Wilby
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Alexander S Berry
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Timothy T Weil
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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4
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Furuta Y, Pena-Ramos O, Li Z, Chiao L, Zhou Z. Calcium ions trigger the exposure of phosphatidylserine on the surface of necrotic cells. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009066. [PMID: 33571185 PMCID: PMC7904182 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular Ca2+ level is under strict regulation through calcium channels and storage pools including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Mutations in certain ion channel subunits, which cause mis-regulated Ca2+ influx, induce the excitotoxic necrosis of neurons. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, dominant mutations in the DEG/ENaC sodium channel subunit MEC-4 induce six mechanosensory (touch) neurons to undergo excitotoxic necrosis. These necrotic neurons are subsequently engulfed and digested by neighboring hypodermal cells. We previously reported that necrotic touch neurons actively expose phosphatidylserine (PS), an “eat-me” signal, to attract engulfing cells. However, the upstream signal that triggers PS externalization remained elusive. Here we report that a robust and transient increase of cytoplasmic Ca2+ level occurs prior to the exposure of PS on necrotic touch neurons. Inhibiting the release of Ca2+ from the ER, either pharmacologically or genetically, specifically impairs PS exposure on necrotic but not apoptotic cells. On the contrary, inhibiting the reuptake of cytoplasmic Ca2+ into the ER induces ectopic necrosis and PS exposure. Remarkably, PS exposure occurs independently of other necrosis events. Furthermore, unlike in mutants of DEG/ENaC channels, in dominant mutants of deg-3 and trp-4, which encode Ca2+ channels, PS exposure on necrotic neurons does not rely on the ER Ca2+ pool. Our findings indicate that high levels of cytoplasmic Ca2+ are necessary and sufficient for PS exposure. They further reveal two Ca2+-dependent, necrosis-specific pathways that promote PS exposure, a “two-step” pathway initiated by a modest influx of Ca2+ and further boosted by the release of Ca2+ from the ER, and another, ER-independent, pathway. Moreover, we found that ANOH-1, the worm homolog of mammalian phospholipid scramblase TMEM16F, is necessary for efficient PS exposure in thapsgargin-treated worms and trp-4 mutants, like in mec-4 mutants. We propose that both the ER-mediated and ER-independent Ca2+ pathways promote PS externalization through activating ANOH-1. Necrosis is a type of cell death that exhibits distinct morphological features such as cell and organelle swelling. Necrotic cells expose phosphatidylserine (PS)–a type of phospholipid—on their outer surfaces. Receptor molecules on phagocytes detect PS on necrotic cells and subsequently initiate the engulfment process. As necrosis is associated with stroke, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and heart diseases, studying necrotic cell clearance has important medical relevance. In the model organism the nematode C. elegans, we previously identified membrane proteins that promote the exposure of PS on necrotic cell surfaces by studying neurons that are induced to undergo necrosis by dominant mutations in ion channels. Here, in C. elegans, we have discovered that the necrotic insults trigger an increase of the cytoplasmic calcium ion (Ca2+), which in turn promotes PS externalization on necrotic cell surfaces. Furthermore, we have identified two different mechanisms that increase cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels, one dependent on the Ca2+ contribution from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the other independent of the ER. The Ca2+ signal targets ANOH-1, a worm homolog of mammalian proteins capable of externalizing PS, for promoting PS exposure on necrotic cells. Our findings reveal novel upstream regulatory mechanisms that promote necrotic cell clearance in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Furuta
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- School of Pharmacy, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Omar Pena-Ramos
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zao Li
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lucia Chiao
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zheng Zhou
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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5
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Liu J, Wang Y, Cheng Y. The ESCRT-I components VPS28A and VPS28B are essential for auxin-mediated plant development. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 104:1617-1634. [PMID: 33058303 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The highly conserved endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway plays critical roles in endosomal sorting of ubiquitinated plasma membrane proteins for degradation. However, the functions of many components of the ESCRT machinery in plants remain unsolved. Here we show that the ESCRT-I subunits VPS28A and VPS28B are functionally redundant and required for embryonic development in Arabidopsis. We conducted a screen for genetic enhancers of pid, which is defective in auxin signaling and transport. We isolated a no--cotyledon in pid 104 (ncp104) mutant, which failed to develop cotyledons in a pid background. We discovered that ncp104 was a unique recessive gain-of-function allele of vps28a. VPS28A and VPS28B were expressed during embryogenesis and the proteins were localized to the trans-Golgi network/early endosome and post-Golgi/endosomal compartments, consistent with their functions in endosomal sorting and embryogenesis. The single vps28a and vps28b loss-of-function mutants did not display obvious developmental defects, but their double mutants showed abnormal cell division patterns and were arrested at the globular embryo stage. The vps28a vps28b double mutants showed altered auxin responses, disrupted PIN1-GFP expression patterns, and abnormal PIN1-GFP accumulation in small aberrant vacuoles. The ncp104 mutation may cause the VPS28A protein to become unstable and/or toxic. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the ESCRT-I components VPS28A and VPS28B redundantly play essential roles in vacuole formation, endosomal sorting of plasma membrane proteins, and auxin-mediated plant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanning Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Youfa Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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6
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Petrachkova T, Wortinger LA, Bard AJ, Singh J, Warga RM, Kane DA. Lack of Cyclin B1 in zebrafish causes lengthening of G2 and M phases. Dev Biol 2019; 451:167-179. [PMID: 30930047 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
An essential part of the Mitosis Promoting Factor, Cyclin B1 is indispensable for cells to enter mitosis. We report here that the zebrafish early arrest mutant specter is a loss-of-function mutation in the сyclin B1 gene. cyclin B1 is maternally transcribed in zebrafish, and the zygotic phenotype is apparent by early segmentation. Lack of zygotic Cyclin B1 does not stop cells from dividing, rather it causes an abnormal and elongated progression through the G2 and M phases of the cell cycle. Many mutant cells show signs of chromosomal instability or enter apoptosis. Using CRISPR-mediated gene editing, we produced a more severe gain-of-function mutation confirming that specter is the result of nonfunctional Cyclin B1. Although also a recessive phenotype, this new mutation produces an alternative splice-form of cyclin B1 mRNA, whose product lacks several key components for Cyclin B1, but not the Cdk1-binding domain. This mutant form of Cyclin B1 completely prevents cell division. We conclude that, although Cyclin B1 is critical for cells to enter mitosis, another cell cycle protein may be cooperating with Cdk1 at the G2/M checkpoint to sustain a partly functional Mitosis Promoting Factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetiana Petrachkova
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA.
| | - Laura A Wortinger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Amber J Bard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Jyotika Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Rachel M Warga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Donald A Kane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
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7
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Matthewman C, Johnson CK, Miller DM, Bianchi L. Functional features of the "finger" domain of the DEG/ENaC channels MEC-4 and UNC-8. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2018; 315:C155-C163. [PMID: 29694233 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00297.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
UNC-8 and MEC-4 are two members of the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel (DEG/ENaC) family of voltage-independent Na+ channels that share a high degree of sequence homology and functional similarity. For example, both can be hyperactivated by genetic mutations [UNC-8(d) and MEC-4(d)] that induce neuronal death by necrosis. Both depend in vivo on chaperone protein MEC-6 for function, as demonstrated by the finding that neuronal death induced by hyperactive UNC-8 and MEC-4 channels is prevented by null mutations in mec-6. UNC-8 and MEC-4 differ functionally in three major ways: 1) MEC-4 is calcium permeable, whereas UNC-8 is not; 2) UNC-8, but not MEC-4, is blocked by extracellular calcium and magnesium in the micromolar range; and 3) MEC-6 increases the number of MEC-4 channels at the cell surface in oocytes but does not have this effect on UNC-8. We previously reported that Ca2+permeability of MEC-4 is conferred by the second transmembrane domain. We show here that the extracellular "finger" domain of UNC-8 is sufficient to mediate inhibition by divalent cations and that regulation by MEC-6 also depends on this region. Thus, our work confirms that the finger domain houses residues involved in gating of this channel class and shows for the first time that the finger domain also mediates regulation by chaperone protein MEC-6. Given that the finger domain is the most divergent region across the DEG/ENaC family, we speculate that it influences channel trafficking and function in a unique manner depending on the channel subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Matthewman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine , Miami, Florida.,Neuroscience Program, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine , Miami, Florida
| | - Christina K Johnson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine , Miami, Florida
| | - David M Miller
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University , Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Laura Bianchi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine , Miami, Florida.,Neuroscience Program, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine , Miami, Florida
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8
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Natural Genetic Variation in the Caenorhabditis elegans Response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2017; 7:1137-1147. [PMID: 28179390 PMCID: PMC5386862 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.039057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans responds to pathogenic microorganisms by activating its innate immune system, which consists of physical barriers, behavioral responses, and microbial killing mechanisms. We examined whether natural variation plays a role in the response of C. elegans to Pseudomonas aeruginosa using two C. elegans strains that carry the same allele of npr-1, a gene that encodes a G-protein-coupled receptor related to mammalian neuropeptide Y receptors, but that differ in their genetic backgrounds. Strains carrying an allele for the NPR-1 215F isoform have been shown to exhibit lack of pathogen avoidance behavior and deficient immune response toward P. aeruginosa relative to the wild-type (N2) strain. We found that the wild isolate from Germany RC301, which carries the allele for NPR-1 215F, shows an enhanced resistance to P. aeruginosa infection when compared with strain DA650, which also carries NPR-1 215F but in an N2 background. Using a whole-genome sequencing single-nucleotide polymorphism (WGS-SNP) mapping strategy, we determined that the resistance to P. aeruginosa infection maps to a region on chromosome V. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the mechanism for the enhanced resistance to P. aeruginosa infection relies exclusively on strong P. aeruginosa avoidance behavior, and does not involve the main immune, stress, and lifespan extension pathways in C. elegans. Our findings underscore the importance of pathogen-specific behavioral immune defense in the wild, which seems to be favored over the more energy-costly mechanism of activation of physiological cellular defenses.
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Willam A, Aufy M, Tzotzos S, Evanzin H, Chytracek S, Geppert S, Fischer B, Fischer H, Pietschmann H, Czikora I, Lucas R, Lemmens-Gruber R, Shabbir W. Restoration of Epithelial Sodium Channel Function by Synthetic Peptides in Pseudohypoaldosteronism Type 1B Mutants. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:85. [PMID: 28286482 PMCID: PMC5323398 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthetically produced cyclic peptides solnatide (a.k.a. TIP or AP301) and its congener AP318, whose molecular structures mimic the lectin-like domain of human tumor necrosis factor (TNF), have been shown to activate the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in various cell- and animal-based studies. Loss-of-ENaC-function leads to a rare, life-threatening, salt-wasting syndrome, pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1B (PHA1B), which presents with failure to thrive, dehydration, low blood pressure, anorexia and vomiting; hyperkalemia, hyponatremia and metabolic acidosis suggest hypoaldosteronism, but plasma aldosterone and renin activity are high. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the ENaC-activating effect of solnatide and AP318 could rescue loss-of-function phenotype of ENaC carrying mutations at conserved amino acid positions observed to cause PHA1B. The macroscopic Na+ current of all investigated mutants was decreased compared to wild type ENaC when measured in whole-cell patch clamp experiments, and a great variation in the membrane abundance of different mutant ENaCs was observed with Western blotting experiments. However, whatever mechanism leads to loss-of-function of the studied ENaC mutations, the synthetic peptides solnatide and AP318 could restore ENaC function up to or even higher than current levels of wild type ENaC. As therapy of PHA1B is only symptomatic so far, the peptides solnatide and AP318, which directly target ENaC, are promising candidates for the treatment of the channelopathy-caused disease PHA1B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Willam
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Mohammed Aufy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Heinrich Evanzin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Chytracek
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabrina Geppert
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Istvan Czikora
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Rudolf Lucas
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Rosa Lemmens-Gruber
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Waheed Shabbir
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ViennaVienna, Austria; APEPTICO GmbHVienna, Austria
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10
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Hanukoglu I. ASIC and ENaC type sodium channels: conformational states and the structures of the ion selectivity filters. FEBS J 2016; 284:525-545. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.13840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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11
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Regulation of Neuronal Oxygen Responses in C. elegans Is Mediated through Interactions between Globin 5 and the H-NOX Domains of Soluble Guanylate Cyclases. J Neurosci 2016; 36:963-78. [PMID: 26791224 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3170-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble guanylate cyclases (sGCs) are gas-binding proteins that control diverse physiological processes such as vasodilation, platelet aggregation, and synaptic plasticity. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a complex of sGCs, GCY-35 and GCY-36, functions in oxygen (O2) sensing. Previous studies suggested that the neuroglobin GLB-5 genetically interacts with GCY-35, and that the inhibitory effect of GLB-5 on GCY-35 function is necessary for fast recovery from prolonged hypoxia. In this study, we identified mutations in gcy-35 and gcy-36 that impact fast recovery and other phenotypes associated with GLB-5, without undermining sGC activity. These mutations, heb1 and heb3, change conserved amino acid residues in the regulatory H-NOX domains of GCY-35 and GCY-36, respectively, and appear to suppress GLB-5 activity by different mechanisms. Moreover, we observed that short exposure to 35% O2 desensitized the neurons responsible for ambient O2 sensing and that this phenomenon does not occur in heb1 animals. These observations may implicate sGCs in neuronal desensitization mechanisms far beyond the specific case of O2 sensing in nematodes. The conservation of functionally important regions of sGCs is supported by examining site-directed mutants of GCY-35, which suggested that similar regions in the H-NOX domains of O2 and NO-sensing sGCs are important for heme/gas interactions. Overall, our studies provide novel insights into sGC activity and regulation, and implicate similar structural determinants in the control of both O2 and NO sensors. Significance statement: Soluble guanylate cyclases (sGCs) control essential and diverse physiological processes, including memory processing. We used Caenorhabditis elegans to explore how a neuroglobin inhibits a complex of oxygen-sensing sGCs, identifying sGC mutants that resist inhibition. Resistance appears to arise by two different mechanisms: increased basal sGC activity or disruption of an interaction with neuroglobin. Our findings demonstrate that the inhibition of sGCs by neuroglobin is essential for rapid adaptation to either low or high oxygen levels, and that similar structural regions are key for regulating both oxygen and nitric oxide sensors. Based on our structural and functional analyses, we present the hypothesis that neuroglobin-sGC interactions may be generally important for adaptation processes, including those in organisms with more complex neurological functions.
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12
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Niu YY, Yang Y, Liu Y, Huang LD, Yang XN, Fan YZ, Cheng XY, Cao P, Hu YM, Li L, Lu XY, Tian Y, Yu Y. Exploration of the Peptide Recognition of an Amiloride-sensitive FMRFamide Peptide-gated Sodium Channel. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:7571-82. [PMID: 26867576 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.710251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2)-activated sodium channel (FaNaC) is an amiloride-sensitive sodium channel activated by endogenous tetrapeptide in invertebrates, and belongs to the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin (ENaC/DEG) superfamily. The ENaC/DEG superfamily differs markedly in its means of activation, such as spontaneously opening or gating by mechanical stimuli or tissue acidosis. Recently, it has been observed that a number of ENaC/DEG channels can be activated by small molecules or peptides, indicating that the ligand-gating may be an important feature of this superfamily. The peptide ligand control of the channel gating might be an ancient ligand-gating feature in this superfamily. Therefore, studying the peptide recognition of FaNaC channels would advance our understanding of the ligand-gating properties of this superfamily of ion channels. Here we demonstrate that Tyr-131, Asn-134, Asp-154, and Ile-160, located in the putative upper finger domain ofHelix aspersaFaNaC (HaFaNaC) channels, are key residues for peptide recognition of this ion channel. Two HaFaNaC specific-insertion motifs among the ENaC/DEG superfamily, residing at the putative α4-α5 linker of the upper thumb domain and the α6-α7 linker of the upper knuckle domain, are also essential for the peptide recognition of HaFaNaC channels. Chemical modifications and double mutant cycle analysis further indicated that those two specific inserts and key residues in the upper finger domain together participate in peptide recognition of HaFaNaC channels. This ligand recognition site is distinct from that of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) by a longer distance between the recognition site and the channel gate, carrying useful information about the ligand gating and the evolution of the trimeric ENaC/DEG superfamily of ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Ya Niu
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China, Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Li-Dong Huang
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiao-Na Yang
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China, Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ying-Zhe Fan
- Putuo District Center Hospital, Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Cheng
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China, and Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - You-Min Hu
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Lingyong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Xiang-Yang Lu
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Yun Tian
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China,
| | - Ye Yu
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China, Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China,
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13
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Wang Y, Matthewman C, Han L, Miller T, Miller DM, Bianchi L. Neurotoxic unc-8 mutants encode constitutively active DEG/ENaC channels that are blocked by divalent cations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 142:157-69. [PMID: 23898007 PMCID: PMC3727304 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201310974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ion channels of the DEG/ENaC family can induce neurodegeneration under conditions in which they become hyperactivated. The Caenorhabditis elegans DEG/ENaC channel MEC-4(d) encodes a mutant channel with a substitution in the pore domain that causes swelling and death of the six touch neurons in which it is expressed. Dominant mutations in the C. elegans DEG/ENaC channel subunit UNC-8 result in uncoordinated movement. Here we show that this unc-8 movement defect is correlated with the selective death of cholinergic motor neurons in the ventral nerve cord. Experiments in Xenopus laevis ooctyes confirm that these mutant proteins, UNC-8(G387E) and UNC-8(A586T), encode hyperactivated channels that are strongly inhibited by extracellular calcium and magnesium. Reduction of extracellular divalent cations exacerbates UNC-8(G387E) toxicity in oocytes. We suggest that inhibition by extracellular divalent cations limits UNC-8 toxicity and may contribute to the selective death of neurons that express UNC-8 in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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14
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Eastwood AL, Goodman MB. Insight into DEG/ENaC channel gating from genetics and structure. Physiology (Bethesda) 2012; 27:282-90. [PMID: 23026751 PMCID: PMC4012085 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00006.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The founding members of the superfamily of DEG/ENaC ion channel proteins are C. elegans proteins that form mechanosensitive channels in touch and pain receptors. For more than a decade, the research community has used mutagenesis to identify motifs that regulate gating. This review integrates insight derived from unbiased in vivo mutagenesis screens with recent crystal structures to develop new models for activation of mechanically gated DEGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Eastwood
- Dept of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5345,
| | - Miriam B. Goodman
- Dept of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5345,
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15
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Court FA, Coleman MP. Mitochondria as a central sensor for axonal degenerative stimuli. Trends Neurosci 2012; 35:364-72. [PMID: 22578891 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2012.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2011] [Revised: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Axonal degeneration is a major contributor to neuronal dysfunction in many neurological conditions and has additional roles in development. It can be triggered by divergent stimuli including mechanical, metabolic, infectious, toxic, hereditary and inflammatory stresses. Axonal mitochondria are an important convergence point as regulators of bioenergetic metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca²⁺ homeostasis and protease activation. The challenges likely to render axonal mitochondria more vulnerable than their cellular counterparts are reviewed, including axonal transport, replenishing nuclear-encoded proteins and maintenance of quality control, fusion and fission in locations remote from the cell body. The potential for mitochondria to act as a decision node in axon loss is considered, highlighting the need to understand the biology of axonal mitochondria and their contributions to degenerative mechanisms for novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A Court
- Millennium Nucleus for Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Biology, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile.
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16
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Geffeney SL, Cueva JG, Glauser DA, Doll JC, Lee THC, Montoya M, Karania S, Garakani AM, Pruitt BL, Goodman MB. DEG/ENaC but not TRP channels are the major mechanoelectrical transduction channels in a C. elegans nociceptor. Neuron 2011; 71:845-57. [PMID: 21903078 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many nociceptors detect mechanical cues, but the ion channels responsible for mechanotransduction in these sensory neurons remain obscure. Using in vivo recordings and genetic dissection, we identified the DEG/ENaC protein, DEG-1, as the major mechanotransduction channel in ASH, a polymodal nociceptor in Caenorhabditis elegans. But DEG-1 is not the only mechanotransduction channel in ASH: loss of deg-1 revealed a minor current whose properties differ from those expected of DEG/ENaC channels. This current was independent of two TRPV channels expressed in ASH. Although loss of these TRPV channels inhibits behavioral responses to noxious stimuli, we found that both mechanoreceptor currents and potentials were essentially wild-type in TRPV mutants. We propose that ASH nociceptors rely on two genetically distinct mechanotransduction channels and that TRPV channels contribute to encoding and transmitting information. Because mammalian and insect nociceptors also coexpress DEG/ENaCs and TRPVs, the cellular functions elaborated here for these ion channels may be conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana L Geffeney
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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17
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Abstract
Mechanosensitive ion channels are gated directly by physical stimuli and transduce these stimuli into electrical signals. Several criteria must apply for a channel to be considered mechanically gated. Mechanosensitive channels from bacterial systems have met these criteria, but few eukaryotic channels have been confirmed by the same standards. Recent work has suggested or confirmed that diverse types of channels, including TRP channels, K(2P) channels, MscS-like proteins, and DEG/ENaC channels, are mechanically gated. Several studies point to the importance of the plasma membrane for channel gating, but intracellular and/or extracellular structures may also be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jóhanna Arnadóttir
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
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18
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Mall MA, Button B, Johannesson B, Zhou Z, Livraghi A, Caldwell RA, Schubert SC, Schultz C, O'Neal WK, Pradervand S, Hummler E, Rossier BC, Grubb BR, Boucher RC. Airway surface liquid volume regulation determines different airway phenotypes in liddle compared with betaENaC-overexpressing mice. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:26945-26955. [PMID: 20566636 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.151803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies in cystic fibrosis patients and mice overexpressing the epithelial Na(+) channel beta-subunit (betaENaC-Tg) suggest that raised airway Na(+) transport and airway surface liquid (ASL) depletion are central to the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis lung disease. However, patients or mice with Liddle gain-of-function betaENaC mutations exhibit hypertension but no lung disease. To investigate this apparent paradox, we compared the airway phenotype (nasal versus tracheal) of Liddle with CFTR-null, betaENaC-Tg, and double mutant mice. In mouse nasal epithelium, the region that functionally mimics human airways, high levels of CFTR expression inhibited Liddle epithelial Nat channel (ENaC) hyperfunction. Conversely, in mouse trachea, low levels of CFTR failed to suppress Liddle ENaC hyperfunction. Indeed, Na(+) transport measured in Ussing chambers ("flooded" conditions) was raised in both Liddle and betaENaC-Tg mice. Because enhanced Na(+) transport did not correlate with lung disease in these mutant mice, measurements in tracheal cultures under physiologic "thin film" conditions and in vivo were performed. Regulation of ASL volume and ENaC-mediated Na(+) absorption were intact in Liddle but defective in betaENaC-Tg mice. We conclude that the capacity to regulate Na(+) transport and ASL volume, not absolute Na(+) transport rates in Ussing chambers, is the key physiologic function protecting airways from dehydration-induced lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus A Mall
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Department of Pediatrics III, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University of Heidelberg and European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Im Neuenheimer Feld 350, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Brian Button
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7248, Switzerland
| | - Bjarki Johannesson
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Department of Pediatrics III, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University of Heidelberg and European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Im Neuenheimer Feld 350, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zhe Zhou
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Department of Pediatrics III, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alessandra Livraghi
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7248, Switzerland
| | - Ray A Caldwell
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7248, Switzerland
| | - Susanne C Schubert
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Department of Pediatrics III, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carsten Schultz
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University of Heidelberg and European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Im Neuenheimer Feld 350, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wanda K O'Neal
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7248, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Pradervand
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Bugnon 27, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Edith Hummler
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Bugnon 27, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bernard C Rossier
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Bugnon 27, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Barbara R Grubb
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7248, Switzerland
| | - Richard C Boucher
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7248, Switzerland
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19
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Zhong L, Hwang RY, Tracey WD. Pickpocket is a DEG/ENaC protein required for mechanical nociception in Drosophila larvae. Curr Biol 2010; 20:429-34. [PMID: 20171104 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.12.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2009] [Revised: 12/29/2009] [Accepted: 12/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Highly branched class IV multidendritic sensory neurons of the Drosophila larva function as polymodal nociceptors that are necessary for behavioral responses to noxious heat (>39 degrees C) or noxious mechanical (>30 mN) stimuli. However, the molecular mechanisms that allow these cells to detect both heat and force are unknown. Here, we report that the pickpocket (ppk) gene, which encodes a Degenerin/Epithelial Sodium Channel (DEG/ENaC) subunit, is required for mechanical nociception but not thermal nociception in these sensory cells. Larvae mutant for pickpocket show greatly reduced nociception behaviors in response to harsh mechanical stimuli. However, pickpocket mutants display normal behavioral responses to gentle touch. Tissue-specific knockdown of pickpocket in nociceptors phenocopies the mechanical nociception impairment without causing defects in thermal nociception behavior. Finally, optogenetically triggered nociception behavior is unaffected by pickpocket RNAi, which indicates that ppk is not generally required for the excitability of the nociceptors. Interestingly, DEG/ENaCs are known to play a critical role in detecting gentle touch stimuli in Caenorhabditis elegans and have also been implicated in some aspects of harsh touch sensation in mammals. Our results suggest that neurons that detect harsh touch in Drosophila utilize similar mechanosensory molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixian Zhong
- Pharmacology Science Training Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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20
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Tannous BA, Christensen AP, Pike L, Wurdinger T, Perry KF, Saydam O, Jacobs AH, García-Añoveros J, Weissleder R, Sena-Esteves M, Corey DP, Breakefield XO. Mutant sodium channel for tumor therapy. Mol Ther 2009; 17:810-9. [PMID: 19259066 PMCID: PMC2751883 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2009.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2008] [Accepted: 01/31/2009] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral vectors have been used to deliver a wide range of therapeutic genes to tumors. In this study, a novel tumor therapy was achieved by the delivery of a mammalian brain sodium channel, ASIC2a, carrying a mutation that renders it constitutively open. This channel was delivered to tumor cells using a herpes simplex virus-1/Epstein-Barr virus (HSV/EBV) hybrid amplicon vector in which gene expression was controlled by a tetracycline regulatory system (tet-on) with silencer elements. Upon infection and doxycycline induction of mutant channel expression in tumor cells, the open channel led to amiloride-sensitive sodium influx as assessed by patch clamp recording and sodium imaging in culture. Within hours, tumor cells swelled and died. In addition to cells expressing the mutant channel, adjacent, noninfected cells connected by gap junctions also died. Intratumoral injection of HSV/EBV amplicon vector encoding the mutant sodium channel and systemic administration of doxycycline led to regression of subcutaneous tumors in nude mice as assessed by in vivo bioluminescence imaging. The advantage of this direct mode of tumor therapy is that all types of tumor cells become susceptible and death is rapid with no time for the tumor cells to become resistant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bakhos A Tannous
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, USA.
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21
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Zhang W, Bianchi L, Lee WH, Wang Y, Israel S, Driscoll M. Intersubunit interactions between mutant DEG/ENaCs induce synthetic neurotoxicity. Cell Death Differ 2008; 15:1794-803. [PMID: 18670436 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2008.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channel hyperactivation can result in neuronal loss in injury, stroke and neurodegenerative disease. Acidosis-associated hyperactivation of the Degenerin/epithelial amiloride-sensitive Na(+) channel (DEG/ENaC) acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), a proton-gated channel expressed in the mammalian brain, contributes significantly to neuronal loss in ischemia. Analogously, in invertebrates, genetic hyperactivation of the Caenorhabditis elegans mechanosensory (MEC) channel (MEC-4(d)) of the DEG/ENaC ion channel superfamily induces neuronal necrosis. Similarly substituted MEC-10(d) mutant subunits of the same MEC channel are only marginally neurotoxic, and we therefore exploited the weak necrosis phenotype of mec-10(d) lines to screen for novel extragenic mutations that enhance neuronal death. Here, we report on one mec-10(d) necrosis enhancer, which we show is MEC-4 variant MEC-4(A149V). MEC-4(A149V) executes normal MEC-4 function in touch sensation and does not induce necrosis on its own, but rather combines with MEC-10(d) to create a strongly neurotoxic channel. The MEC-4(A149V)+MEC-10(d) channel conducts elevated Na(+) and Ca(2+) currents (with a disproportionate increase in Ca(2+) current) in the Xenopus oocyte expression system, and exhibits altered binding of the channel inhibitor amiloride. Our data document the first example of synergistically toxic intersubunit interactions in the DEG/ENaC channel class and provide evidence that Ca(2+) current levels may be decisive factors in tipping the balance between neuronal survival and necrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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22
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Haeberle H, Bryan LA, Vadakkan TJ, Dickinson ME, Lumpkin EA. Swelling-activated Ca2+ channels trigger Ca2+ signals in Merkel cells. PLoS One 2008; 3:e1750. [PMID: 18454189 PMCID: PMC2365925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2007] [Accepted: 02/08/2008] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Merkel cell-neurite complexes are highly sensitive touch receptors comprising epidermal Merkel cells and sensory afferents. Based on morphological and molecular studies, Merkel cells are proposed to be mechanosensory cells that signal afferents via neurotransmission; however, functional studies testing this hypothesis in intact skin have produced conflicting results. To test this model in a simplified system, we asked whether purified Merkel cells are directly activated by mechanical stimulation. Cell shape was manipulated with anisotonic solution changes and responses were monitored by Ca2+ imaging with fura-2. We found that hypotonic-induced cell swelling, but not hypertonic solutions, triggered cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients. Several lines of evidence indicate that these signals arise from swelling-activated Ca2+-permeable ion channels. First, transients were reversibly abolished by chelating extracellular Ca2+, demonstrating a requirement for Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane. Second, Ca2+ transients were initially observed near the plasma membrane in cytoplasmic processes. Third, voltage-activated Ca2+ channel (VACC) antagonists reduced transients by half, suggesting that swelling-activated channels depolarize plasma membranes to activate VACCs. Finally, emptying internal Ca2+ stores attenuated transients by 80%, suggesting Ca2+ release from stores augments swelling-activated Ca2+ signals. To identify candidate mechanotransduction channels, we used RT-PCR to amplify ion-channel transcripts whose pharmacological profiles matched those of hypotonic-evoked Ca2+ signals in Merkel cells. We found 11 amplicons, including PKD1, PKD2, and TRPC1, channels previously implicated in mechanotransduction in other cells. Collectively, these results directly demonstrate that Merkel cells are activated by hypotonic-evoked swelling, identify cellular signaling mechanisms that mediate these responses, and support the hypothesis that Merkel cells contribute to touch reception in the Merkel cell-neurite complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Haeberle
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Leigh A. Bryan
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tegy J. Vadakkan
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mary E. Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ellen A. Lumpkin
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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23
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The varitint-waddler (Va) deafness mutation in TRPML3 generates constitutive, inward rectifying currents and causes cell degeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 105:353-8. [PMID: 18162548 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0707963105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Varitint-waddler (Va and Va(J)) mice are deaf and have vestibular impairment, with inner ear defects that include the degeneration and loss of sensory hair cells. The semidominant Va mutation results in an alanine-to-proline substitution at residue 419 (A419P) of the presumed ion channel TRPML3. Another allele, Va(J), has the A419P mutation in addition to an I362T mutation. We found that hair cells, marginal cells of stria vascularis, and other cells lining the cochlear and vestibular endolymphatic compartments express TRPML3. When heterologously expressed in LLC-PK1-CL4 epithelial cells, a culture model for hair cells, TRPML3 accumulated in lysosomes and in espin-enlarged microvilli that resemble stereocilia. We also demonstrated that wild-type TRPML3 forms channels that are blocked by Gd(3+), have a conductance of 50-70 pS and, like many other TRP channels, open at very positive potentials and thus rectify outwardly. In addition to this outward current, TRPML3(419P) and (I362T+A419P) generated a constitutive inwardly rectifying current that suggests a sensitivity to hyperpolarizing negative potentials and that depolarized the cells. Cells expressing TRPML3(A419P) or (I362T+A419P), but not wild-type TRPML3, died and were extruded from the epithelium in a manner reminiscent of degenerating hair cells in Va mice. The increased open probability of TRPML3(A419P) and (I362T+A419P) at physiological potentials likely underlies hair cell degeneration and deafness in Va and Va(J) mice.
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24
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Mechanotransduction: Touch and Feel at the Molecular Level as Modeled in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Neurobiol 2007; 36:254-71. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-007-8009-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2007] [Accepted: 08/30/2007] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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25
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Bounoutas A, Chalfie M. Touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Pflugers Arch 2007; 454:691-702. [PMID: 17285303 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-006-0187-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2006] [Accepted: 10/31/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was the first organism for which touch insensitive mutants were obtained. The study of the genes defective in these mutants has led to the identification of components of a mechanosensory complex needed for specific cells to sense gentle touch to the body. Multiple approaches using genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and electrophysiology have characterized a channel complex, containing two DEG/ENaC pore-forming subunits and several other proteins, that transduces the touch response. Other mechanical responses, sensed by other cells using a variety of other components, are less well understood in C. elegans. Many of these other senses may use TRP channels, although DEG/ENaC channels have also been implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bounoutas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, 1012 Fairchild, MC#2446, 1012 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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26
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Bazopoulou D, Tavernarakis N. Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Caenorhabditis elegans. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2007; 59:49-79. [PMID: 25168133 DOI: 10.1016/s1063-5823(06)59003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans depends critically on mechanosensory perception to negotiate its natural habitat, the soil. The worm displays a rich repertoire of mechanosensitive behaviors, which can be easily examined in the laboratory. This, coupled with the availability of sophisticated genetic and molecular biology tools, renders C. elegans a particularly attractive model organism to study the transduction of mechanical stimuli to biological responses. Systematic genetic analysis has facilitated the dissection of the molecular mechanisms that underlie mechanosensation in the nematode. Studies of various worm mechanosensitive behaviors have converged to identify highly specialized plasma membrane ion channels that are required for the conversion of mechanical energy to cellular signals. Strikingly, similar mechanosensitive ion channels appear to function at the core of the mechanotransduction apparatus in higher organisms, including humans. Thus, the mechanisms responsible for the detection of mechanical stimuli are likely conserved across metazoans. The nematode offers a powerful platform for elucidating the fundamental principles that govern the function of metazoan mechanotransducers. This chapter evaluates the current understanding of mechanotransduction in C. elegans and focuses on the role of mechanosensitive ion channels in specific mechanosensory behavioral responses. The chapter also outlines potential unifying themes, common to mechanosensory transduction in diverse species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafne Bazopoulou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion 71110, Crete, Greece
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion 71110, Crete, Greece
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Satlin LM, Carattino MD, Liu W, Kleyman TR. Regulation of cation transport in the distal nephron by mechanical forces. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2006; 291:F923-31. [PMID: 16849691 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00192.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Thiazide and loop diuretics induce renal K(+) secretion, often leading to renal K(+) wasting and hypokalemia. This phenomenon has been proposed to reflect an increase in delivery to and reabsorption of Na(+) by the distal nephron, with a resultant increase in the driving force for passive K(+) efflux across the apical membrane. Recent studies suggest that cellular mechanisms that lead to enhanced rates of Na(+) reabsorption as well as K(+) secretion in response to increases tubular flow rates are more complex. Increases in tubular flow rates directly enhance the activity of apical membrane Na(+) channels and indirectly activate a class of K(+) channels, referred to as maxi-K, that are functionally inactive under low flow states. This review addresses the role of biomechanical forces, generated by variations in urinary flow rate and tubular fluid volume, in the regulation of transepithelial Na(+) and K(+) transport in the distal nephron. The question of why the distal nephron has evolved to include a component of flow-dependent K(+) secretion is also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Satlin
- Renal-Electrolyte Div, Univ. of Pittsburgh, A919 Scaife Hall, 3550 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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Sheng S, Carattino MD, Bruns JB, Hughey RP, Kleyman TR. Furin cleavage activates the epithelial Na+channel by relieving Na+self-inhibition. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2006; 290:F1488-96. [PMID: 16449353 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00439.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial Na+channels (ENaC) are inhibited by extracellular Na+, a process referred to as Na+self-inhibition. We previously demonstrated that mutation of key residues within two furin cleavage consensus sites in α, or one site in γ, blocked subunit proteolysis and inhibited channel activity when mutant channels were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes (Hughey RP, Bruns JB, Kinlough CL, Harkleroad KL, Tong Q, Carattino MD, Johnson JP, Stockand JD, and Kleyman TR. J Biol Chem 279: 18111–18114, 2004). Cleavage of subunits was also blocked by these mutations when expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, and both subunit cleavage and channel activity were blocked when wild-type subunits were expressed in furin-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells. We now report that channels with mutant α-subunits lacking either one or both furin cleavage sites exhibited a marked enhancement of the Na+self-inhibition response, while channels with a mutant γ-subunit showed a modestly enhanced Na+self-inhibition response. Analysis of Na+self-inhibition at varying [Na+] indicates that channels containing mutant α-subunits exhibit an increased Na+affinity. At the single-channel level, channels with a mutant α-subunit had a low open probability ( Po) in the presence of a high external [Na+] in the patch pipette. Podramatically increased when trypsin was also present, or when a low external [Na+] was in the patch pipette. Our results suggest that furin cleavage of ENaC subunits activates the channels by relieving Na+self-inhibition and that activation requires that the α-subunit be cleaved twice. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time a clear relationship between ENaC Poand extracellular [Na+], supporting the notion that Na+self-inhibition reflects a Poreduction due to high extracellular [Na+].
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohu Sheng
- Dept. of Medicine, Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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O'Hagan R, Chalfie M. Mechanosensation in Caenorhabditis elegans. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2005; 69:169-203. [PMID: 16492465 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7742(05)69006-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert O'Hagan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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31
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Syntichaki P, Tavernarakis N. Genetic Models of Mechanotransduction: The NematodeCaenorhabditis elegans. Physiol Rev 2004; 84:1097-153. [PMID: 15383649 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00043.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanotransduction, the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into a biological response, constitutes the basis for a plethora of fundamental biological processes such as the senses of touch, balance, and hearing and contributes critically to development and homeostasis in all organisms. Despite this profound importance in biology, we know remarkably little about how mechanical input forces delivered to a cell are interpreted to an extensive repertoire of output physiological responses. Recent, elegant genetic and electrophysiological studies have shown that specialized macromolecular complexes, encompassing mechanically gated ion channels, play a central role in the transformation of mechanical forces into a cellular signal, which takes place in mechanosensory organs of diverse organisms. These complexes are highly efficient sensors, closely entangled with their surrounding environment. Such association appears essential for proper channel gating and provides proximity of the mechanosensory apparatus to the source of triggering mechanical energy. Genetic and molecular evidence collected in model organisms such as the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the mouse highlight two distinct classes of mechanically gated ion channels: the degenerin (DEG)/epithelial Na+channel (ENaC) family and the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of ion channels. In addition to the core channel proteins, several other potentially interacting molecules have in some cases been identified, which are likely parts of the mechanotransducing apparatus. Based on cumulative data, a model of the sensory mechanotransducer has emerged that encompasses our current understanding of the process and fulfills the structural requirements dictated by its dedicated function. It remains to be seen how general this model is and whether it will withstand the impiteous test of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Popi Syntichaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Vassilika Vouton, PO Box 1527, Heraklion 71110, Crete, Greece
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Abstract
The molecular mechanisms for the transduction of light and chemical signals in animals are fairly well understood. In contrast, the processes by which the senses of touch, balance, hearing, and proprioception are transduced are still largely unknown. Biochemical approaches to identify transduction components are difficult to use with mechanosensory systems, but genetic approaches are proving more successful. Genetic research in several organisms has demonstrated the importance of cytoskeletal, extracellular, and membrane components for sensory mechanotransduction. In particular, researchers have identified channel proteins in the DEG/ENaC and TRP families that are necessary for signaling in a variety of mechanosensory cells. Proof that these proteins are components of the transduction channel, however, is incomplete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen G Ernstrom
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1012 Fairchild Center, Columbia University, 1212 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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Abstract
Mechanosensation has been studied for decades, but understanding of its molecular mechanism is only now emerging from studies in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. In both cases, the entry point proved to be genetic screens that allowed molecules needed for mechanosensation to be identified without any prior understanding of the likely components. In C. elegans, genetic screens revealed molecules needed for touch sensation along the body wall and other regions of force sensitivity. Members of two extensive membrane protein families have emerged as candidate sensory mechanotransduction channels: mec-4 and mec-10, which encode amiloride-sensitive channels (ASCs or DEG/ENaCs), and osm-9, which encodes a TRP ion channel. There are roughly 50 other members of these families whose functions in C. elegans are unknown. This article classifies these channels in C. elegans, with an emphasis on insights into their function derived from mutation. We also review the neuronal cell types in which these channels might be expressed and mediate mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam B Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
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Strange K. From genes to integrative physiology: ion channel and transporter biology in Caenorhabditis elegans. Physiol Rev 2003; 83:377-415. [PMID: 12663863 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00025.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The stunning progress in molecular biology that has occurred over the last 50 years drove a powerful reductionist approach to the study of physiology. That same progress now forms the foundation for the next revolution in physiological research. This revolution will be focused on integrative physiology, which seeks to understand multicomponent processes and the underlying pathways of information flow from an organism's "parts" to increasingly complex levels of organization. Genetically tractable and genomically defined nonmammalian model organisms such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provide powerful experimental advantages for elucidating gene function and the molecular workings of complex systems. This review has two main goals. The first goal is to describe the experimental utility of C. elegans for investigating basic physiological problems. A detailed overview of C. elegans biology and the experimental tools, resources, and strategies available for its study is provided. The second goal of this review is to describe how forward and reverse genetic approaches and direct behavioral and physiological measurements in C. elegans have generated novel insights into the integrative physiology of ion channels and transporters. Where appropriate, I describe how insights from C. elegans have provided new understanding of the physiology of membrane transport processes in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Strange
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
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35
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Oviedo NJ, Newmark PA, Sánchez Alvarado A. Allometric scaling and proportion regulation in the freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Dev Dyn 2003; 226:326-33. [PMID: 12557210 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.10228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of scale and proportion in living organisms is an intriguing and enduring problem of biology. Regulatory mechanisms for controlling body size and proportion are clearly illustrated by the regeneration of missing body parts after amputation, in which the newly regenerated tissues ultimately attain a size that is anatomically congruent with the size of the rest of the organism. Understanding the molecular processes underpinning scaling would have deep consequences for our comprehension of tissue regeneration, developmental ontogeny, growth, and evolution. Although many theories have been put forward to explain this process, it is interesting that no satisfactory mechanistic explanation is currently available to explain scalar relationships. We chose to investigate the freshwater planarian, a commonly used model system for the study of metazoan regeneration, to delineate a strategy for the molecular dissection of scale and proportion mechanisms in metazoans. Here, we report on the cloning and discrete expression pattern of a novel planarian gene, which shares homology with the DEG/ENaC super-family of sodium channels. We have named H.112.3c cintillo ("head ribbon" in Spanish) and present a strategy for using the expression of this gene to monitor scale and proportion regulation during regeneration, growth and degrowth in the freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Néstor J Oviedo
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA
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36
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Faber PW, Voisine C, King DC, Bates EA, Hart AC. Glutamine/proline-rich PQE-1 proteins protect Caenorhabditis elegans neurons from huntingtin polyglutamine neurotoxicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002; 99:17131-6. [PMID: 12486229 PMCID: PMC139281 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.262544899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat expansion in the huntingtin protein [Huntington's Disease Collaborative Research Group (1993) Cell 72, 971-983]. To understand the mechanism by which polyQ repeats cause neurodegeneration and cell death, we modeled polyQ neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. In our model, expression of N-terminal fragments of human huntingtin causes polyQ-dependent degeneration of neurons. We conducted a genetic screen to identify proteins that protect neurons from the toxic effects of expanded polyQ tracts. Loss of polyQ enhancer-1 (pqe-1) gene function strongly and specifically exacerbates neurodegeneration and cell death, whereas overexpression of a pqe-1 cDNA protects C. elegans neurons from the toxic effects of expanded huntingtin fragments. A glutamineproline-rich domain, along with a charged domain, is critical for PQE-1 protein function. Analysis of pqe-1 suggests that proteins exist that specifically protect neurons from the toxic effects of expanded polyQ disease proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Faber
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, 149-7202 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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37
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Sheng S, Perry CJ, Kleyman TR. External nickel inhibits epithelial sodium channel by binding to histidine residues within the extracellular domains of alpha and gamma subunits and reducing channel open probability. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:50098-111. [PMID: 12397059 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m209975200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) are regulated by various intracellular and extracellular factors including divalent cations. We studied the inhibitory effect and mechanism of external Ni(2+) on cloned mouse alpha-beta-gamma ENaC expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Ni(2+) reduced amiloride-sensitive Na(+) currents of the wild type mouse ENaC in a dose-dependent manner. The Ni(2+) block was fast and partially reversible at low concentrations and irreversible at high concentrations. ENaC inhibition by Ni(2+) was accompanied by moderate inward rectification at concentrations higher than 0.1 mm. ENaC currents were also blocked by the histidine-reactive reagent diethyl pyrocarbonate. Pretreatment of the oocytes with the reagent reduced Ni(2+) inhibition of the remaining current. Mutations at alphaHis(282) and gammaHis(239) located within the extracellular loops significantly decreased Ni(2+) inhibition of ENaC currents. The mutation alphaH282D or double mutations alphaH282R/gammaH239R eliminated Ni(2+) block. All mutations at gammaHis(239) eliminated Ni(2+)-induced inward current rectification. Ni(2+) block was significantly enhanced by introduction of a histidine at alphaArg(280). Lowering extracellular pH to 5.5 and 4.4 decreased or eliminated Ni(2+) block. Although alphaH282C-beta-gamma channels were partially inhibited by the sulfhydryl-reactive reagent [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl] methanethiosulfonate bromide (MTSET), alpha-beta-gamma H239C channels were insensitive to MTSET. From patch clamp studies, Ni(2+) did not affect unitary current but decreased open probability when perfused into the recording pipette. Our results suggest that external Ni(2+) reduces ENaC open probability by binding to a site consisting of alphaHis(282) and gammaHis(239) and that these histidine residues may participate in ENaC gating.
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MESH Headings
- Amiloride/pharmacology
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Binding Sites
- Cloning, Molecular
- DNA, Complementary/metabolism
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Epithelial Sodium Channels
- Histidine/chemistry
- Kinetics
- Magnesium/pharmacology
- Mice
- Models, Biological
- Models, Chemical
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
- Mutation
- Nickel/pharmacology
- Oocytes/metabolism
- Patch-Clamp Techniques
- Point Mutation
- Protein Binding
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- RNA, Complementary/metabolism
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Sodium/metabolism
- Sodium/pharmacology
- Sodium Channels/chemistry
- Sodium Channels/metabolism
- Time Factors
- Xenopus
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohu Sheng
- Renal-Electrolyte Division, the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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Chelur DS, Ernstrom GG, Goodman MB, Yao CA, Chen L, O' Hagan R, Chalfie M. The mechanosensory protein MEC-6 is a subunit of the C. elegans touch-cell degenerin channel. Nature 2002; 420:669-73. [PMID: 12478294 DOI: 10.1038/nature01205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2002] [Accepted: 08/20/2002] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mechanosensory transduction in touch receptor neurons is believed to be mediated by DEG/ENaC (degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel) proteins in nematodes and mammals. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, gain-of-function mutations in the degenerin genes mec-4 and mec-10 (denoted mec-4(d) and mec-10(d), respectively) cause degeneration of the touch cells. This phenotype is completely suppressed by mutation in a third gene, mec-6 (refs 3, 4), that is needed for touch sensitivity. This last gene is also required for the function of other degenerins. Here we show that mec-6 encodes a single-pass membrane-spanning protein with limited similarity to paraoxonases, which are implicated in human coronary heart disease. This gene is expressed in muscle cells and in many neurons, including the six touch receptor neurons. MEC-6 increases amiloride-sensitive Na+ currents produced by MEC-4(d)/MEC-10(d) by approximately 30-fold, and functions synergistically with MEC-2 (a stomatin-like protein that regulates MEC-4(d)/MEC-10(d) channel activity) to increase the currents by 200-fold. MEC-6 physically interacts with all three channel proteins. In vivo, MEC-6 co-localizes with MEC-4, and is required for punctate MEC-4 expression along touch-neuron processes. We propose that MEC-6 is a part of the degenerin channel complex that may mediate mechanotransduction in touch cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dattananda S Chelur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
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Kellenberger S, Schild L. Epithelial sodium channel/degenerin family of ion channels: a variety of functions for a shared structure. Physiol Rev 2002; 82:735-67. [PMID: 12087134 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00007.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 786] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The recently discovered epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)/degenerin (DEG) gene family encodes sodium channels involved in various cell functions in metazoans. Subfamilies found in invertebrates or mammals are functionally distinct. The degenerins in Caenorhabditis elegans participate in mechanotransduction in neuronal cells, FaNaC in snails is a ligand-gated channel activated by neuropeptides, and the Drosophila subfamily is expressed in gonads and neurons. In mammals, ENaC mediates Na+ transport in epithelia and is essential for sodium homeostasis. The ASIC genes encode proton-gated cation channels in both the central and peripheral nervous system that could be involved in pain transduction. This review summarizes the physiological roles of the different channels belonging to this family, their biophysical and pharmacological characteristics, and the emerging knowledge of their molecular structure. Although functionally different, the ENaC/DEG family members share functional domains that are involved in the control of channel activity and in the formation of the pore. The functional heterogeneity among the members of the ENaC/DEG channel family provides a unique opportunity to address the molecular basis of basic channel functions such as activation by ligands, mechanotransduction, ionic selectivity, or block by pharmacological ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Kellenberger
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Toxicologie, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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40
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Kellenberger S, Auberson M, Gautschi I, Schneeberger E, Schild L. Permeability properties of ENaC selectivity filter mutants. J Gen Physiol 2001; 118:679-92. [PMID: 11723161 PMCID: PMC2229513 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.118.6.679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC), located in the apical membrane of tight epithelia, allows vectorial Na(+) absorption. The amiloride-sensitive ENaC is highly selective for Na(+) and Li(+) ions. There is growing evidence that the short stretch of amino acid residues (preM2) preceding the putative second transmembrane domain M2 forms the outer channel pore with the amiloride binding site and the narrow ion-selective region of the pore. We have shown previously that mutations of the alphaS589 residue in the preM2 segment change the ion selectivity, making the channel permeant to K(+) ions. To understand the molecular basis of this important change in ionic selectivity, we have substituted alphaS589 with amino acids of different sizes and physicochemical properties. Here, we show that the molecular cutoff of the channel pore for inorganic and organic cations increases with the size of the amino acid residue at position alpha589, indicating that alphaS589 mutations enlarge the pore at the selectivity filter. Mutants with an increased permeability to large cations show a decrease in the ENaC unitary conductance of small cations such as Na(+) and Li(+). These findings demonstrate the critical role of the pore size at the alphaS589 residue for the selectivity properties of ENaC. Our data are consistent with the main chain carbonyl oxygens of the alphaS589 residues lining the channel pore at the selectivity filter with their side chain pointing away from the pore lumen. We propose that the alphaS589 side chain is oriented toward the subunit-subunit interface and that substitution of alphaS589 by larger residues increases the pore diameter by adding extra volume at the subunit-subunit interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kellenberger
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Toxicologie, Université de Lausanne, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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41
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Berdiev BK, Mapstone TB, Markert JM, Gillespie GY, Lockhart J, Fuller CM, Benos DJ. pH alterations "reset" Ca2+ sensitivity of brain Na+ channel 2, a degenerin/epithelial Na+ ion channel, in planar lipid bilayers. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:38755-61. [PMID: 11514582 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m107266200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the degenerin/epithelial Na(+) channel superfamily of ion channels subserve many functions, ranging from whole body sodium handling to mechanoelectrical transduction. We studied brain Na(+) channel 2 (BNaC-2) in planar lipid bilayers to examine its single channel properties and regulation by Ca(2+). Upon incorporation of vesicles made from membranes of oocytes expressing either wild-type (WT) BNaC-2 or BNaC-2 with a gain-of-function (GF) point mutation (G433F), functional channels with different properties were obtained. WT BNaC-2 resided in a closed state with short openings, whereas GF BNaC-2 was constitutively activated; a decrease in the pH in the trans compartment of the bilayer activated WT BNaC-2 and decreased its permeability for Na(+) over K(+). Moreover, these maneuvers made the WT channel more resistant to amiloride. In contrast, GF BNaC-2 did not respond to a decrease in pH, and its amiloride sensitivity and selectivity for Na(+) over K(+) were unaffected by this pH change. Buffering the bathing solutions with EGTA to reduce the free [Ca(2+)] to <10 nm increased WT single channel open probability 10-fold, but not that of GF BNaC-2. Ca(2+) blocked both WT and GF BNaC-2 in a dose- and voltage-dependent fashion; single channel conductances were unchanged. A drop in pH reduced the ability of Ca(2+) to inhibit these channels. These results show that BNaC-2 is an amiloride-sensitive sodium channel and suggest that pH activation of these channels could be, in part, a consequence of H(+) "interference" with channel regulation by Ca(2+).
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Affiliation(s)
- B K Berdiev
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0005, USA
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42
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Xu K, Tavernarakis N, Driscoll M. Necrotic cell death in C. elegans requires the function of calreticulin and regulators of Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Neuron 2001; 31:957-71. [PMID: 11580896 DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00432-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In C. elegans, a hyperactivated MEC-4(d) ion channel induces necrotic-like neuronal death that is distinct from apoptosis. We report that null mutations in calreticulin suppress both mec-4(d)-induced cell death and the necrotic cell death induced by expression of a constitutively activated Galpha(S) subunit. RNAi-mediated knockdown of calnexin, mutations in the ER Ca(2+) release channels unc-68 (ryanodine receptor) or itr-1 (inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate receptor), and pharmacological manipulations that block ER Ca(2+) release also suppress death. Conversely, thapsigargin-induced ER Ca(2+) release can restore mec-4(d)-induced cell death when calreticulin is absent. We conclude that high [Ca(2+)](i) is a requirement for necrosis in C. elegans and suggest that an essential step in the death mechanism is release of ER-based Ca(2+) stores. ER-driven Ca(2+) release has previously been implicated in mammalian necrosis, suggesting necrotic death mechanisms may be conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Xu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, A232, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08855, USA
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43
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Abstract
Mechanotransduction - a cell's conversion of a mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal - reveals vital features of an organism's environment. From hair cells and skin mechanoreceptors in vertebrates, to bristle receptors in flies and touch receptors in worms, mechanically sensitive cells are essential in the life of an organism. The scarcity of these cells and the uniqueness of their transduction mechanisms have conspired to slow molecular characterization of the ensembles that carry out mechanotransduction. But recent progress in both invertebrates and vertebrates is beginning to reveal the identities of proteins essential for transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- P G Gillespie
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA.
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44
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Satlin LM, Sheng S, Woda CB, Kleyman TR. Epithelial Na(+) channels are regulated by flow. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2001; 280:F1010-8. [PMID: 11352841 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.2001.280.6.f1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Na(+) absorption in the renal cortical collecting duct (CCD) is mediated by apical epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaCs). The CCD is subject to continuous variations in intraluminal flow rate that we speculate alters hydrostatic pressure, membrane stretch, and shear stress. Although ENaCs share limited sequence homology with putative mechanosensitive ion channels in Caenorhabditis elegans, controversy exists as to whether ENaCs are regulated by biomechanical forces. We examined the effect of varying the rate of fluid flow on whole cell Na(+) currents (I(Na)) in oocytes expressing mouse alpha,beta,gamma-ENaC (mENaC) and on net Na(+) absorption in microperfused rabbit CCDs. Oocytes injected with mENaC but not water responded to the initiation of superfusate flow (to 4-6 ml/min) with a reversible threefold stimulation of I(Na) without a change in reversal potential. The increase in I(Na) was variable among oocytes. CCDs responded to a threefold increase in rate of luminal flow with a twofold increase in the rate of net Na(+) absorption. An increase in luminal viscosity achieved by addition of 5% dextran to the luminal perfusate did not alter the rate of net Na(+) absorption, suggesting that shear stress does not influence Na(+) transport in the CCD. In sum, our data suggest that flow stimulation of ENaC activity and Na(+) absorption is mediated by an increase in hydrostatic pressure and/or membrane stretch. We propose that intraluminal flow rate may be an important regulator of channel activity in the CCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Satlin
- Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York 10029-6574, USA.
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Transport and localization of the DEG/ENaC ion channel BNaC1alpha to peripheral mechanosensory terminals of dorsal root ganglia neurons. J Neurosci 2001. [PMID: 11306621 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.21-08-02678.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian brain sodium channel (BNaC, also known as BNC/ASIC) proteins form acid-sensitive and amiloride-blockable sodium channels that are related to putative mechanosensory channels. Certain BNaC isoforms are expressed exclusively in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and have been proposed to form the ion channels mediating tissue acidosis-induced pain. With antibody labeling, we find that the BNaC1alpha isoform is expressed by most large DRG neurons (low-threshold mechanosensors not involved in acid-induced nociception) and few small nociceptor neurons (which include high-threshold mechanoreceptors). BNaC1alpha is transported from DRG cell bodies to sensory terminals in the periphery, but not to the spinal cord, and is located specifically at specialized cutaneous mechanosensory terminals, including Meissner, Merkel, penicillate, reticular, lanceolate, and hair follicle palisades as well as some intraepidermal and free myelinated nerve endings. Accordingly, BNaC1alpha channels might participate in the transduction of touch and painful mechanical stimuli.
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Abstract
The simplest cell-like structure, the lipid bilayer vesicle, can respond to mechanical deformation by elastic membrane dilation/thinning and curvature changes. When a protein is inserted in the lipid bilayer, an energetic cost may arise because of hydrophobic mismatch between the protein and bilayer. Localized changes in bilayer thickness and curvature may compensate for this mismatch. The peptides alamethicin and gramicidin and the bacterial membrane protein MscL form mechanically gated (MG) channels when inserted in lipid bilayers. Their mechanosensitivity may arise because channel opening is associated with a change in the protein's membrane-occupied area, its hydrophobic mismatch with the bilayer, excluded water volume, or a combination of these effects. As a consequence, bilayer dilation/thinning or changes in local membrane curvature may shift the equilibrium between channel conformations. Recent evidence indicates that MG channels in specific animal cell types (e.g., Xenopus oocytes) are also gated directly by bilayer tension. However, animal cells lack the rigid cell wall that protects bacteria and plants cells from excessive expansion of their bilayer. Instead, a cortical cytoskeleton (CSK) provides a structural framework that allows the animal cell to maintain a stable excess membrane area (i.e., for its volume occupied by a sphere) in the form of membrane folds, ruffles, and microvilli. This excess membrane provides an immediate membrane reserve that may protect the bilayer from sudden changes in bilayer tension. Contractile elements within the CSK may locally slacken or tighten bilayer tension to regulate mechanosensitivity, whereas membrane blebbing and tight seal patch formation, by using up membrane reserves, may increase membrane mechanosensitivity. In specific cases, extracellular and/or CSK proteins (i.e., tethers) may transmit mechanical forces to the process (e.g., hair cell MG channels, MS intracellular Ca(2+) release, and transmitter release) without increasing tension in the lipid bilayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- O P Hamill
- Physiology and Biophysics, University Of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
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Chung YD, Zhu J, Han Y, Kernan MJ. nompA encodes a PNS-specific, ZP domain protein required to connect mechanosensory dendrites to sensory structures. Neuron 2001; 29:415-28. [PMID: 11239432 DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00215-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the no-mechanoreceptor-potential A (nompA) gene, which eliminate transduction in Drosophila mechanosensory organs, disrupt contacts between neuronal sensory endings and cuticular structures. nompA encodes a transmembrane protein with a large, modular extracellular segment that includes a zona pellucida (ZP) domain and several plasminogen N-terminal (PAN) modules. It is specifically expressed in type I sense organs of the peripheral nervous system by the support cells that ensheath the neuronal sensory process. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-NompA fusion protein is localized to the dendritic cap, an extracellular matrix that covers the ciliary outer segment of the sensory process and that shows organizational defects in nompA mutants. The structure and location of NompA suggest that it forms part of a mechanical linkage required to transmit mechanical stimuli to the transduction apparatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y D Chung
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and, The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Sheng S, Li J, McNulty KA, Kieber-Emmons T, Kleyman TR. Epithelial sodium channel pore region. structure and role in gating. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:1326-34. [PMID: 11022046 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m008117200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) have a crucial role in the regulation of extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure. To study the structure of the pore region of ENaC, the susceptibility of introduced cysteine residues to sulfhydryl-reactive methanethiosulfonate derivatives ((2-aminoethyl)methanethiosulfonate hydrobromide (MTSEA) and [(2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl]methanethiosulfonate bromide (MTSET)) and to Cd(2+) was determined. Selected mutants within the amino-terminal portion (alphaVal(569)-alphaTrp(582)) of the pore region responded to MTSEA, MTSET, or Cd(2+) with stimulation or inhibition of whole cell Na(+) current. The reactive residues were not contiguous but were separated by 2-3 residues where substituted cysteine residues did not respond to the reagents and line one face of an alpha-helix. The activation of alphaS580Cbetagamma mENaC by MTSET was associated with a large increase in channel open probability. Within the carboxyl-terminal portion (alphaSer(583)-alphaSer(592)) of the pore region, only one mutation (alphaS583C) conferred a rapid, nearly complete block by MTSEA, MTSET, and Cd(2+), whereas several other mutant channels were partially blocked by MTSEA or Cd(2+) but not by MTSET. Our data suggest that the outer pore of ENaC is formed by an alpha-helix, followed by an extended region that forms a selectivity filter. Furthermore, our data suggest that the pore region participates in ENaC gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Sheng
- Department of Medicine, Physiology and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Chung S, Gumienny TL, Hengartner MO, Driscoll M. A common set of engulfment genes mediates removal of both apoptotic and necrotic cell corpses in C. elegans. Nat Cell Biol 2000; 2:931-7. [PMID: 11146658 DOI: 10.1038/35046585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Similar to mammalian excitotoxic cell death, necrotic-like cell death (NCD) in Caenorhabditis elegans can be initiated by hyperactive ion channels. Here we investigate the requirements for genes that execute and regulate programmed cell death (PCD) in necrotic-like neuronal death caused by a toxic MEC-4 channel. Neither the kinetics of necrosis onset nor the total number of necrotic corpses generated is altered by any C. elegans mutation known to block PCD, which provides genetic evidence that the activating mechanisms for NCD and apoptotic cell death are distinct. In contrast, all previously reported ced genes required for phagocytotic removal of apoptotic corpses, as well as ced-12, a new engulfment gene we have identified, are required for efficient elimination of corpses generated by distinct necrosis-inducing stimuli. Our results show that a common set of genes acts to eliminate cell corpses irrespective of the mode of cell death, and provide the first identification of the C. elegans genes that are required for orderly removal of necrotic cells. As phagocytotic mechanisms seem to be conserved from nematodes to humans, our findings indicate that injured necrotic cells in higher organisms might also be eliminated before lysis through a controlled process of corpse removal, a hypothesis that has significant therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Chung
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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Abstract
Many ion channels and receptors display striking phenotypes for gain-of-function mutations but milder phenotypes for null mutations. Gain of molecular function can have several mechanistic bases: selectivity changes, gating changes including constitutive activation and slowed inactivation, elimination of a subunit that enhances inactivation, decreased drug sensitivity, changes in regulation or trafficking of the channel, or induction of apoptosis. Decreased firing frequency can occur via increased function of K+ or Cl- channels. Channel mutants also cause gain-of-function syndromes at the cellular and circuit level; of these syndromes, the cardiac long-QT syndromes are explained in a more straightforward way than are the epilepsies. G protein-coupled receptors are also affected by activating mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- H A Lester
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.
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